This pretty town in the Tuscan hills is famous for music, architecture – and fish and chips. The town’s strong Scottish connections go back to the turn of the last century.High in the Tuscan hills, surrounded by lush forest and looking out over the valleys of the Apuan Alps, sits the beautiful 10th-century walled town of Barga.
At first glance, its winding cobbled streets and red-roofed villas give Barga the appearance of many other picture-perfect hilltop towns in northern Tuscany.But if you spend time here you’ll soon realise that this is a town unlike any other.Barga quite literally has a strong Scottish accent. From July 27 to August 16, the town hosts a festival dedicated to the local favourite dish – fish and chips.Every evening at the Sagra del Pesce e Patate, billed as a celebration of “traditional Scottish fish ’n’ chips”, around 300 people enjoy a fish supper at trestle tables…

For anyone not tempted by fried fish, there’s also pasta and grilled meat on the menu. And there are typical Italian desserts, coffee, and beer – though some locals prefer a glass of Chianti with their deep-fried dinner.